Peninsula

Menlo College football season preview

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
08/16/2014 12:36:22 AM PDT

Updated:
08/16/2014 12:36:23 AM PDT

It's Year 2 of the Mark Grieb era at Menlo College, and the former San Jose SaberCats quarterback has built quite a supporting cast to help him with his head coaching duties. And that cast goes beyond his staff of assistant coaches.

"There is a core of 20 to 25 guys that stayed here in the offseason and worked all summer, so I got to see them a lot," Grieb said. "And then we just kind of built in with the younger guys and the older players have been instrumental in helping those younger guys learn. ... It just speeds the progress so much."

Every little bit helps because the Oaks had fewer than three weeks to prepare for next Saturday's season and home opener against Eastern Oregon. Kickoff is noon at Cartan Field in Atherton.

The group of leaders on the roster includes quarterback Wade Hawkins.

"This whole summer, we had over a quarter of the team here working out and staying around," the redshirt junior said. "So football never actually ended for us. But this last week, we've turned it on. We're locked and loaded, we're very focused right now."

Hawkins began his career at Menlo as a defensive back. In the spring of 2013 he asked the newly hired Grieb for a shot at quarterback, which he played in high school.

More than a year later, he feels more comfortable under center and has a tighter grasp of the 100-page playbook.

"It's nice to spend time in the system for a long time and understand the ins and outs of it," Hawkins said.

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"I think there's no question that he is more comfortable," Grieb said. "He is an extremely hard worker, an overachiever. I thought when he came in for us last year, it just changed a lot for us as a team, as far as our attitude, as far as how we came together and jelled as an offense. He has a competitive spirit, which is what you want in your quarterback."

Grieb runs a West Coast offense and stresses balance between the run and pass. The Oaks have weapons in players like DJ Jones and tight end Dylan Power, plus a plethora of options in the backfield.

But the heart of the offense is found in the trenches.

Every starter on the offensive line returns, including left tackle Bryce Howard. Next to him is left guard Marshall Houston, center Jerardo Torres Rodriguez, right guard Moosa McClean and right tackle Mitch Young.

"We've got some playmakers and having Wade back makes a big difference, but it's all going to hinge on those veteran offensive linemen and how well they play and keeping them together," Grieb said. "Because that's where it all starts. I think we have enough firepower and we have the guys up front to be able to give us time to throw down the field."

The Oaks reported for duty Aug. 4 and will have three weeks of practice under their belts prior to next Saturday's kickoff.

"In practice, we like to have a good time," Howard said. "Keep things light, but when it's time to work hard and in games we work, and that's when it pays off."

"We're kind of a blue-collar group," Hawkins said. "We like to put our hard hats on and go to work during game day. Our offense, we like to get down and dirty and get going and dig it out to the very last second."

One of the leaders on defense is weakside linebacker Cameron Grad, who finished last year with the Oaks third in tackles and second in sacks.

"He just looks unblockable at this point," Grieb said. "He's so explosive and knows what he's doing, knows this system, been in it for four years. And he's just a great leader on defense."

"We're tenacious," Grad said of the defense. "We're always going for the ball, everyone is flying around, high energy all the time. Sometimes they have to cool us down in practice because we're coming in too hot. But we bring it every day and we're going to bring it on game day, too."

Graduation thinned out the defensive line, but Grad expects junior college transfer David Birlem to make an immediate impact at nose guard. The secondary has plenty of experience with Denzel Guewell at corner and Gabriel Deol at safety, plus Ray Roach and Keontae Holland.

The Oaks employ a 3-4 system and it will be key for newcomers to make contributions at the inside linebacker spots.

"One of those guys is going to step up," Grieb said. "We have a bunch of talent, it's just a matter of playing within the system."

On special teams, Christian Daog, who tied a high school state record in Hawaii with a 57-yard field goal, finished as the place-kicker last year.

Menlo went 5-5 last season and hasn't had a winning season since 2003, when it went 7-3.

The goal this year is to win all six of its NAIA games and reach the postseason.

"We want the program to be a consistent playoff contender every year," Hawkins said.